


Too Proud - Another Side

by BananaMilkLightning



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Kingdom Hearts III Spoilers, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-17
Updated: 2019-08-17
Packaged: 2020-09-06 08:53:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20288782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BananaMilkLightning/pseuds/BananaMilkLightning
Summary: [KH III Keyblade Graveyard Spoilers, Canon divergence]In which within the maze of the Graveyard Ventus can't give up easily.





	Too Proud - Another Side

**Author's Note:**

> It was hardest yet easiest choice to make.

Nothing ever seemed to go to plan anymore. Was this his fate in the end? To live in darkness and watch them from afar? No, this was his choice. Sora and Ventus should be grateful really. If they could stop making dumb assumptions first.

‘You think I want to die?’ Ventus didn’t even flinch. ‘You think because of what Xehanort did I want it to all end?’

A twisted grin spread across his lips. ‘How heroic of you. Xehanort made me strong. Stronger than you could ever be. Why would I be sad, I’m not the pitiful one.’

That seemed to do it. Ventus clenched his teeth and sprung at him, grabbing his shoulders.

‘And you think I am? What is it you want me to do?’

‘That’s just the thing,’ Vanitas closed a hand around Ventus’ wrist, ‘you can’t do anything. It’s been too long, too late, too far gone.’ He pulled a hand off his shoulder. ‘Let it go.’

‘So, you’re going to stay in the darkness alone? Is that what you want?’ His face looked pained. Was he going to cry?

‘Where else would I go? If I want to be your shadow, the dark is the best place to be.’

‘What if I don’t want that?’

‘It’s not your choice.’

Ventus faltered, making it easy to Vanitas slip away from his grip. He was ready to turn away and leave them both until a hand gripped his tightly, nearly tipping him forward if he hadn’t dug his heels into the ground.

‘No!’ Sora shouted, tears already in his eyes. ‘You can’t!’

Vanitas sighed, why did they have to be so grabby?

‘Weren’t you listening? This is the best way I can help you.’

Sora shook his head. ‘It’s not. There’s another way. There’s always another way.’

Vanitas opened his mouth to protest. ‘You’re stupid.’ Ventus said, now holding a clamp onto Vanitas’ other hand.

He felt a pang of something mixed in with irritation.

‘Both of you let go.’

‘We can’t.’ Sora said.

‘Not this time.’ Ventus’ voice strained. ‘You wanted my help. You wanted to make the x-keyblade so you could be free from the darkness. You wanted to live as you wanted.’

Vanitas twisted his wrist trying to free a hand from their grips. ‘Xehanort didn’t force this onto me. I’m telling you. Are you too thick to understand?’

‘Xehanort manipulated you.’ Sora said quietly.

Ventus’ head whipped around to look at the other boy. A silent ‘what’ ghosting his lips.

‘I know what he did. It wasn’t-’

Vanitas wrenched his hand away from them both, staggering backwards. His eardrums flooded with dull beats.

‘Vanitas-’ Ventus started.

‘Don’t pity me.’

He felt sick.

Ventus took a step closer.

The emotions inside him churned and bubbled. Why was he scared?

Sora called his name and the next thing he knew he had doubled over, throwing up inky black matter. He heaved a few more times, sucking in deep breaths as he tried to regain control of his body. Guess even with this replica body his heart wasn’t as stable as he thought.

Vanitas let out a mirthless laugh, wiped at his mouth and stood up. It only smeared the slick substance away. He raised his head grinning at them, stained teeth on display as they looked upon him with horrified faces.

Nothing formed from the pool beneath him. He almost felt disappointed.

Pathetic.

He wanted to laugh more but he could feel himself fading.

Ventus swallowed. ‘If you need some of my heart, I’ll give it to you.’

‘Don’t need it. I’ll fill it with darkness.’

‘Why won’t you let me help you?’ Ventus shouted, frustration bleeding into his voice.

He looked at the two of them, letting Ventus stew for a moment and crossed his arms, cocking his head to side.

‘Is there anything else you want to say to me? I think time’s running out. You don’t want to keep your friends waiting, do you?’ It pulled a reaction from Sora, who chanced a look down the corridor to the others flitting around in battle.

Ventus made a sweeping gesture and positioned himself directly in front of Vanitas. ‘They can handle themselves. You on the hand… Wherever you’re going, I’m going with you.’

‘Shame, but that’s not the plan. You’re going to fight Xehanort with Heart Hotel-boy and I’m going to disappear into darkness.’

‘Oh yeah?’

He smirked. ‘Yeah.’

‘Sora you go ahead. I’ll make sure we catch up later.’

Sora looked the two of them. ‘Is your mind made up?’

Ventus nodded. ‘Yeah. This time, no-one gets left behind.’

He made a noise of approval and summoned his keyblade. ‘I’ll leave it to you.’ Sora glanced at Vanitas one time, who appeared to feign disinterest.

They watched Sora run off in a burst of speed, sprinting further and further until he was out of sight.

With all the smugness he could muster Vanitas focused on Ventus. ‘Now that the children are gone, what’s Venty-Wenty going to- ‘ Ventus marched forward, grabbed Vanitas’ left arm and placed the palm of his other over the boy's chest. Vanitas tried to jerk away but Ventus held steadfast.

‘What are you doing?’ He hadn’t given any indication that he was afraid, or at least he hoped he hadn’t, but now he would able to tell. He called his name but Ventus merely observed him. What was he looking for?

Vanitas pulled at the hand over his chest, the owner’s fingers reflexively tried to curl into the red and black fabric. ‘I don’t have time for this.’ Vanitas muttered. Soon enough he wouldn’t be able to keep this appearance up, he was sure his legs were close to buckling.

Darkness was supposed to make him strong, yet why did he feel so weak?

‘Sorry but this isn’t your last chance. If I have to drag you out of darkness, I’ll do it. Sora ran all over different worlds to find his friends. Where do you think he got that from?’

Was Sora really that relentless in pulling Riku away from darkness? His grip on Ventus’ wrist waned. He wanted it to end with him standing proud, a smirk on his face a look that he was doing them a favour. He couldn’t leave like this, with his head bowed over, legs straining as his strength ebbed away at a snail’s creep.

‘If want to leave so badly why don’t you?’ Ventus said frustrated.

‘Maybe because someone wouldn’t let me have my final exit.’ Vanitas spat.

Ventus let go of him and he abruptly fell. Limbs slamming down as he dug his fingers into the ground from discomfort. He hadn’t realised how much Ventus was holding him up. The other boy in question looked shocked himself. He mumbled a sorry and knelt down in front of him. ‘Go on, say what you wanted to, I’ll listen.’

After all that was Ventus just going to let him go? All of a sudden, he felt cold. It was as if he was trying to grasp at something floating away.

He was going to tell him that they were working together, he living in darkness and Ventus in light, that it was something he chose to do, his own way. How much closer could he be? With wide eyes he realised he had taken hold of Ventus’ wristband. He was barely clinging to threads. His heart would shatter all over again.

‘You shouldn’t worry about me.’ Vanitas finally said.

His thoughts began to splinter.

‘I am darkness.’

That wasn’t what he wanted to say. Vanitas clutched onto Ventus, he wanted to shake him, to tell him what he wanted to but he couldn’t. The words had felt heavy on his tongue.

‘Okay,’ Ventus said simply, ‘I don’t believe you.’

Ventus cradled his hands. ‘Vanitas, what do you really want? Without thinking about darkness, or light, not even Xehanort, not anything like that.’

He wanted to lie, to tell half-truths with such conviction that Ventus couldn’t question, to say this is how he was born and therefore how he must live. To say the world was never this easy for him.

Vanitas didn’t say any of that. He couldn’t quite hear the sound of his voice as he spoke, it was as if someone else was saying them. Someone who sounded too tried, too wrung out, too desperate.

‘I…I want to live. Freely, as I want. As I should have.’

His breath caught in his throat and he ducked his head, it was hard to look at Ventus. He wanted to compose himself to throw a contradiction at him. Nullify everything he had said and slink into exiled darkness while his heart shattered once more.

Ventus took a hand in his and placed it over his own heart. He whispered something Vanitas couldn’t quite hear and smiled brightly at him. Strength returned to him like a gentle breeze, enveloping his body beginning from the tips of his fingers resting over Ventus’ heart. The everlasting pain he felt subsided and he clenched his teeth firmly together stop the tears threatening to fall. He was tugged forward, face squashed in the space between Ventus’ collar and armour-plated shoulder. He cried. The emotions he felt didn’t compact together, they didn’t curdle within unknown depths, nor did they feel like a torrent urging for release. His throat ached and he struggled to control his breathing but he felt relieved, like an uninterrupted zephyr was relaxing him gradually.

It wouldn't be forever he knew that. A pessimistic part of thing wondered how long it would last, if this was a prelude to a different kind of suffering. He wanted to bask in this for as long as he could.

Ventus pulled away moments later, wiping away the stray tears from his own eyes. ‘How much closer could you be?’

He breathed out a satisfied sigh and laid down on the dusty earth.

Finding his voice Vanitas spoke, ‘We’ve got a lot of catching up to do.’

‘Let’s have another minute.’

Vanitas joined him on the ground, unresisting the tug pulling the corners of his mouth.

**Author's Note:**

> For once he felt something he would later come to know as 'peace'.
> 
> >>Party In  

> 
>   * Vanitas


End file.
